The Years 1979-1997

AllMusic Review
by Andy Kellman

The Years 1979-1997 is the Australian counterpart to Rhino's Shine Like It Does. Like Shine Like It Does, The Years is an elaborately packaged anthology with extensive liner notes and just over 40 tracks chronologically spread across two discs. There is only a slight difference between the two selection-wise; for instance, this has "By My Side" and "Shining Star" instead of earlier tracks "We Are the Vegetables" and "Simple Simon." And, of course, it wouldn't be a retrospective without a couple sops to completists: two previously unreleased outtakes, "Tight" and "Salvation Jane," originate, respectively, from Welcome to Wherever You Are and X. Two discs are hardly excessive for a group who notched 38 Top 40 hits in their home country.